I have a guest today, author Dariel Raye, who has visited us before, with a fantastic boxset being released tomorrow and an interview I know you’ll all enjoy. And she’s brought another great author with her, Muffy Wilson. The boxset is on offer at only $ 0.99, so don’t delay!

Wickedly Dangerous and Sinfully Seductive.

Indulge in 25 breathtaking adventures of dangerous worlds
where the lines blur between saints and sinners.

Come meet the creatures that fuel your every lust filled
nightmare, where angels are not always encased in a light of righteousness and
demons are not always dealing in all manner of debauchery. Where you might just
end up rooting for the bad guy…

Warning:If you like demonic games, angelic interventions, and
thrilling temptations, you’ll love this urban fantasy and paranormal romance
collection of twisted proportions in Wings of the Wicked.

Generations ago, he
died for her. Now, it’s her turn.

Pride kept them from looking at one another, but their
bodies could not lie. Recognition lived in their souls, rekindling memories of
passion, love, betrayal….and death.

Apache Elder Aidan Stringfellow, V, is a very wealthy man
with one wish – to free his only son, the brilliant, yet abrasive David, from
the curse that has plagued his family for generations. When his controversial plan for a cure is
revealed, shock and disbelief are only the beginning, for David has deadly, yet
beguiling secrets of his own.

Choosing to honor Aidan’s wishes, David and Katala
unwittingly awaken an ancient evil desperate to lay claim to the last-born
Stringfellow – David. The tumultuous consequences of a vengeful pact spanning
generations, defies time, tradition, and death itself.

Katala finds herself falling in love with a man whose gaze
and touch ignite long-forgotten passion, propelling her to fight for his life.
She unearths one devastating clue after another on her winding journey toward
the truth, but unseen forces escalate their attack as truth collides with myth.
Clinging desperately to her own sanity, she must find a way to reconcile the
two, for even her own identity comes into question. Trust no one. Not even
David.

Time is running out. Promises will be kept, and if the devil
has his way, souls will be claimed.

David hit the button to start his playlist, then
turned to face Katala. His speech was halting, but deliberate. “What do you
need me to do before we move forward with this agreement?”

“Where did that come from all of a sudden? A moment
ago, we were talking about work.”

Following the wedding, they used most of their extra time
moving into a new free-standing flat. Katala had actually taken a six-week
leave from work, but cried the night before she had to return. Now, she sat
barefoot on the sofa in a long pink cotton gown.

“David, I don’t want to talk about that right now. I
hate the way you change the subject in midstream like that. I – I’d just like
to know you better. You know, feel more comfortable with you. I don’t want to
just have sex because we’re supposed to.”

David’s gaze followed her as she moved closer to him.
“What do you need to know?” he asked.

She gave a short laugh. She had to admit, she liked
his straightforward manner. Despite her initial distrust, she was beginning to
change her mind. One thing she realized she did not have to worry about with
him was lies. He was so used to getting his way there was absolutely no guile
in him. He simply said ‘I want this or that’, and people did whatever he
wanted. She never doubted she would be any different. Honestly, he lit a fire
inside her she’d never felt before, but she refused to give in just yet.

“David, I want to know how you feel, what you think,
what’s important to you. You know – things that I’m sure most married couples
know about each other. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

He smiled. “How about I don’t like waiting. Is that
enough about how I feel and what I think?”

Author Interview:

~ Dariel Raye ~

Why do you write?

I write for two main reasons:

1. Reading has always been
one of my favorite things, and I feel gratitude towards authors who offer an
escape from the difficulties of real life. I strive to do the same, and in
writing, I manage to escape as well.

2. Human and animal rights. Animals and their welfare
play a prominent role in my stories, and I am driven to subtly shed light on
the dearth of Black and interracial female heroines as standards of beauty and
desirability. Too often, people from other cultures don’t realize the lack and
the resulting negative impact erasure and subsequent neglect have on us as
women.

What genre does most of your work fall under?

Urban fantasy/ paranormal romance. I’m also collaborating
on a mystery with my friend, Muffy Wilson, and after its release I’m working on a
psy-thriller/suspense with romantic elements to be released next year.

Why did you choose that genre?

Feels like home to me. These sub-genres allow my
imagination complete freedom, and I can better offer the sense of escape that
I’m seeking.

What are some of the drawbacks of this genre?

There are so many creative authors, thinking of something
that hasn’t been done to death can be challenging.

What are some of the benefits?

In some ways, the drawbacks are the benefits as well;
i.e., accepting the challenge to think outside the box and create yet another
world for readers to escape to is exhilarating. I enjoy taking real people who
have always considered themselves to be ordinary, and placing them in extraordinary,
supernatural situations and environments. It adds even more fire when the
“ordinary” person develops strong feelings for a paranormal being, or in some
instances finds that they, themselves possess exceptional abilities.

How does your work contribute to the genre?

I write interracial/multicultural characters who are not
only dealing with the main plots, romance, and conflict, but there’s always a
subplot dealing with a real-life issue such as animal cruelty, human rights
issues, and racism. The subplots don’t slap readers in the face and snap them
away from their escape, but I like to think they shed light on issues that
might not have been considered in the same way before.

What would the title of your life story be? And why?

Driven. I’ve always felt driven to do something with the
gifts God has given me. Now, managing chronic illness along with daily pain and
numerous surgical procedures, has added a level of urgency because I’m
constantly faced with my own mortality.

Besides writing, what other creative passions do you
have?

Music and art. I also love dance, but with my tomboy
roots, I’m about as graceful as a donkey.

My degrees are in music (piano and vocal performance), counseling
psychology (mental health, substance abuse, and career decisions), and I have
all but dissertation (ABD due to illness) towards my Ph.D. Along the way, I’ve
taught every academic subject, private piano and voice lessons, and worked from
child support investigations to mental health and substance abuse therapy to
band director and college career counselor. It’s been an interesting journey so
far.

Which are your three favorites?

Whichever story I’m writing at the moment. Right now, it
would have to be “Devil’s Claim,” from the “Wings of the Wicked” boxed set,
“Dangerous Beauty, Sexy Beast,” and “Dark Opius,” a Cursed Angel story from the
Charmed Legacy.

What writing advice would you give to yourself prior to
completing your first novel?

Write at least 2 books of an entire series before
releasing the first one, then release them 2-months apart. That way, by the
time people start to forget, there’s another one in the wind. Wish I’d taken
that advice.

About the Author

Dariel Raye, an author, musician, counseling psychologist,

and animal rights activist, writes interracial/multicultural paranormal
romance and dark urban fantasy featuring shifters, Nephilim, angels,and
reluctant demons, all filled with action, alpha heroes, and strong heroines. As
a child, she could always be found curled up with her dogs, cats, and a good
book, even if the book was a dictionary or encyclopedia. Things have not changed much.

Dariel is a classically trained soprano and
plays more than 11 musical instruments. She also completed coursework and
passed comprehensives for a Ph.D. in Instructional Design (ABD), teaches piano
and voice, tutors writing, algebra, and statistics, and readily admits to being
a Netflix paranormal and action series binge-watcher. For more about
Dariel, join her VIP Readers’ club, follow
her on BookBub, or visither website.

I am a wife, mother, daughter and sister first and an author of provocative romance about love, sex, hope and passion second. I was born in Texas to traditional parents. With two older brothers. I was the youngest, the family “princess,” indulged and pampered. My father was a career Colonel and pilot in the U.S. Air Force which required our family to travel extensively. I spent my formative years in Europe and ‘came of age’ in France (a state of affairs that gave my father much cause for concern one loooong summer on the Italian Riviera!) which forged my joie de vivre and love for books, writing and education. I liked Aldo a lot then too.

What is one thing you would like the world to remember you for?

I am a simple person. I would like to be remembered as a good person, loving wife and nurturing mother. I never met a stranger nor turned anyone away that needed help. And I have tried hard to learn from my mistakes but I am not always successful in that endeavor!

What got you into writing?

An old boyfriend from high school. We reconnected after all these years and he writes self-help real estate books. And I was selling real estate on the side, so we still had a lot in common. That said, I took a significant departure from self-help to provocative and paranormal romance.

Are you a full-time author or do you have a day job as well, and if so, what do you do?

When I first started writing fiction in 2010, I was still working (I was a Regional Director for IBM, owned a resort on Washington Island, Wisconsin, and have been a General Manager for high end retail furniture) but I have since retired and devote most of my free time to writing, my family, my pups and anything that will keep me from doing any housework!!

Where do you get your greatest ideas for writing?

My story lines come my life and from ordinary people: watching them, listening to them, talking to them about dreams, romance, passions ~ about their regrets and when they lost their heart, their virginity…a loved one. And then, somehow magically, I’ll have a dream on one of those many nights I cannot sleep and a story title will come to me. It always starts with the title for me. Always. That’s the piece that takes root, grabs me and blossoms.

What is your ‘Writing Routine’, if any?

I sit in the living room with my husband, when he does his crossword puzzles, and I write. And write. And write. His questions about clues and comments about the news or a movie often go unanswered when I am in the “zone”.

Tell us a saucy/intimate/personal story about yourself.

Well, I was almost 36 when I got married. A child of the 60’s anf 70’s, I had a very free way of thinking about men. I thought men were healthy–at least for me. Since I worked in a man’s business world, I lived my life much as men do when it comes to romance. And when I met the man that would steal my heart, I never looked back.

What are your Top (10?) Writing Tips? Writing Advice?

Never start with a prologue or the weather, but start.

Don’t worry if your first draft is any good; it won’t be. just start.

Write every day, at the same time for the same length of time. Self-disciple is only a routine. But you gotta start…So start.

Write what you would like to read, from your heart. And start.

Allow yourself to change your mind. Change is a reflection of inspiration. A new perspective. But start.

Each new voice requires a new paragraph. If you must, only use “said”. Anything else is “fluff” wastes ink pretentiously. I’m still learning that one! Get started!

Be kind to yourself. Your work may not be great or Nobel material, but it is yours. Accept that your voice will change and evolve, but it is still yours. Start!

There is no secret to writing. But there is an enemy — procrastination. Just start… Always start.

About the Author:

Muffy Wilson
is a USA Today Bestselling and 2017 SWFRW Joyce Henderson First Place
Paranormal Award-Winning author of provocative, paranormal, and fantasy romance.
An American author of the popular Shadow Seduction Series, The Heart Series,
and Ribbons of Moonlight Series, she has penned dozens of other books and anthology
collections.

Muffy’s father
was a career Colonel and pilot in the U.S. Air Force which required the family
to travel extensively. Muffy spent her formative years in Europe and ‘came of
age’ in France forging her joie de vivre and love for books and writing.
Married and living in the tropical paradise of SW Florida along the Gulf Coast,
Muffy writes and enjoys life in the sun with her husband and wee Havanese pups,
Buddy and CoCo Chanel while volunteering as a foster mom to rescued Havanese
dogs and puppies through HALO and HRI, both 501c nonprofit charitable
organizations.

I was born in Barcelona and have lived in the UK for many years now. I'm a writer, translator (English-Spanish and vice-versa) and I'm a medical doctor and worked in Forensic Psychiatry many years. I also have a BA and a PhD in American Literature and Film, and a Masters in Criminology. I've always loved books and apart from writing them I review them often.
I write a bit of everything, check my books for more information and my about page for links.
My blog is bilingual, English and Spanish.

Very true, Robbie 🙂 Just as Olga said, our differences made the collaboration even more interesting, and I must admit that this project gave me the inspiration I needed to update and release something I started and finished, but never shared. The story, “Devil’s Claim” is an updated version of one I wrote over 16 years ago, and if not for Muffy’s invitation to join this set with her, it would still be an unpublished manuscript. For that reason and a number of others, the release of this set is a momentous occasion and a relief, and our friendship has grown even stronger.

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This is me!

I'm a writer, translator (English-Spanish and vice versa) and a forensic psychiatrist. I was born in Barcelona and moved to the UK in 1992 to train in psychiatry. After a few years I decided to go back to full-time education and completed a BA in American Literature at Sussex University (it included a year in Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts), and a PhD on 'the Films of David Mamet'. As I never tired studying I also did an MSc (Distance Learning) in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Leicester University). Now I've decided to try and focus on writing, translating and exploring interesting stuff.
I have written short stories, several novels including different genres and two series (one YA, one psychological thriller). I also review books and I am a member of several review groups. You can find more information about my writing following the links.
If you're an author who, like me, wants to reach more potential readers, talk to me about translations. I know how important it is to be in control and I understand how much you care about your books. Let's talk about it. I am in most places but for more information check:
My website/blog:
http://www.authortranslatorolga.com
And for older content:
http://OlgaNM.wordpress.com

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